Lessons
The day after they had once again achieved lift Ting Wu is in the rear cabin with Colonel Gentlemen, here though, she tends to call him Dirk. "You aren't concentrating Dirk." Ting Wu says with exasperation. Her completion pale and her eyes sunk in, and it seems her patients a bit shorter today. "The spell is a bit more complex, you have to pull longer. You keep letting go of the Thaum too soon. Every time." Feeling frustrated, Colonel Gentle snaps at Ting Wu. "Look here my good lady, what you are saying is simply not possible. I am following your instructions as well as I am able but it cannot be done!" The spell he was trying to cast collapses and the gathered Thaum ebbs away. "Damn! Damn it all to Hell!" "Grrrrrrr!!!" Ting Wu flings up her hands and plops into one of the cushioned chairs. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "We've been at this for an hour. Perhaps a break is in order." taking a second breath, she reaches for the teapot steaming happily on the table and pours them each a cup. Sitting in tense silence, sipping tea, Ting Wu lets the steam bath her face and the tension out of her features. "Perhaps it has something to do with your draconic nature. Did anyone else in your family face the same issues?" "I'm afraid I really can't answer that. I have no brothers or sisters, not that I am aware of at any rate." he pauses to light a Calabash pipe before continuing. "My mother died giving birth to me and my father... Father disappeared mysteriously when I was but a boy of 16." Here he trails off a bit, as if lost in some hazy memory. "He disappeared? "She says while waving away the smoke. "Yes, well it was rather difficult. Now keep in mind that while I was alone I was not entirely helpless. I had my charm and debonair wit of course. Additionally I had the legal right to my Father's estate; not that such material things are replacement for family mind you. It was shortly after this that I became enamored with the many whims of lady luck and dame fortune. I fell in with a rather bawdy crowd and I am ashamed to admit that I lost nearly my entire inheritance to those ne'er do wells. If found myself on the streets, nearly penniless when I happened to meet a man by the name of William Sikes. He took me into his care and taught me the ways of the street and the ways of the pick-" Colonel Gentlemen suddenly cuts himself off as if he suddenly realizes he is saying too much. Looking a little flustered and clearing his throat, he simply adds. "Well, lets just say that he taught me how to survive and leave it at that. Yes, rather." "What about your ... other half? You did have 16 years with a father who could teach you what it meant to be a dragon. Did William Sikes know and how could a human..." Ting Wu pauses and then addendum her statement, "I'm assuming he was human" she pours herself another cup of tea and offers to refill Dirks, "fulfill the teachings needed to young dragons?" "Like most of my kind, when I reached the age of 10, my Father took me to learn our the ways. There is honestly not terribly much to learn, and we were long finished before I entered school. But what my father never taught me is how to deal with Humans. That Sikes and others taught me well." "Sikes seemed like a good man." She refreshes the cups and sit the pot down on it's coaster. She sits in silence, quiet contemplation smooths her features. A slow, low-pitched chuckle began to emanate from Colonel Gentlemen. "No, far from it. Sikes was in fact the most vile and wretched example of what Humanity had to offer I have ever met. He was tyrannical and cruel; more of a monster than any dragon I have ever met. If you disobeyed, he would beat you. If you should ever betray him, he would shoot you. The man threatened to shoot children my good lady... As far as I know, I was the only child he had ever met who did not fear him. I do not believe he ever quite figured out why... I spent several years learning that which this man and the others had to offer before moving on to bigger and better things." "Oh!" Her eyes grow round as the words sink in, "Why that is awful! I am glad you managed to leave his clutches unscathed." She leans forward in her chair slightly, "but you ended your remarks with 'bigger and better' things. What things could those have been? And now that I'm thinking about it, why have you come to call yourself Colonel Gentleman?" "Oh, what's to tell? This and that... One thing after another." Ting Wu gets the distinct impression that Colonel Gentleman does not wish to continue the conversation. "I understand." She sits down her teacup, smiling. "Thank you Dirk. It was a pleasure." She gets up and starts placing the china on the tray. "Do remember we have marksmanship practice later." "Of course my good lady. How could I forget? You're actually getting to be quite the markswoman!" "Lies Colonel," she says as she opens the door to leave, "but nice ones." she calls over her shoulder as she exits. After the door closes, Ting Wu faintly hears a softly muttered "... *mumble mumble* broad side of a barn..." Category:Layflat Castle Falkenstein